The Killing Moon
by Amarna L
Summary: How Remus Lupin became a werewolf


TITLE: The Killing Moon  
AUTHOR: Amarna  
E-MAIL: amarna_lupin@pop.com.br  
DISCLAIMER: The characters from the Harry Potter are property of J. K. Rowling and all associated publishers (including Scholastic Press, Bloomsburg, and Raincoast). Possible original characters would be my own.  
No money is being made with this (who would buy this?!) and surely no infringement is intended.  
RATING: PG  
CATEGORY: Songfic  
SPOILERS: 3rd book  
SUMMARY: the oh-so-not-new-plot of how Remus became a werewolf  
NOTES: the song is The Killing Moon, by Echo & The Bunnymen 

The Killing Moon

_Under blue moon I saw you / So soon you'll take me / Up in your arms too late to beg you / Or cancel it though I know it must be / The killing time / Unwillingly mine_

He was still outside, playing around in a summer day. The silky sky above turned slowly from bright blue to a starry darkness and he didn't even notice, too concentrated in playing with his friends to remember he needed to get back home.  
As the other children started to leave, Remus also began to make his way back home, thinking about how his mum would scold with him for letting her worrying at home, wondering where the hell he was, if she wasn't already out, looking for him in the neighborhood.  
His house wasn't that far but the streets where empty and the strange sounds coming from the forest nearby weren't pleasant at all. He quickened his pace, his wary eyes looking from side to side, scanning for any suspect movement. It was then that the night became a lot brighter: the clouds had vanished and the only thing that lingered in the sky besides the soft prickle of the stars was a full round silver circle. The moon in its fullest.  
Like on cue Remus heard a howl. An angry and terrible howl. He stopped, too frightened to move. The noise came from near. So, so near... And then he saw the thing that made his blood freeze: a large shadow of an animal coming furtively from the other side of the road, from the forest. Remus started backing away, unsure of what to do. He decided to get home from another road. It was a big detour, but it was safer. He didn't know what that thing was, and he surely wasn't keen to find out.  
He moved around slowly, trying to stay disguised by the shadows. But then he heard something. The animal was sniffing, and its steps were sounding clearer and louder. The boy started to run, and, before he could cry for help, something jumped on his back and threw him to the ground.  


_Fate / Up against your will / Through the thick and thin / He will wait until / You give yourself to him_

Remus struggled, kicking and punching, but he was small, too small, and the animal above him was immensely strong, its claws opening wounds in Remus' face and its heavy breath coming towards his neck.  
No, no, this wasn't happening. Why didn't he follow his mother's instructions? "Don't stay out late!", he could hear his mum saying now. He wanted her there with him, while he was fighting a war he was sure he couldn't be the winner. The tears were blurring his sight now and he wish they didn't. Not that he wanted to look the dark creature in the eye, but he wanted to be strong. He could get out of this one if he was fast enough. He just needed to get himself out of under the heavy creature.  
He punched again and this time it seemed to have some sort of effect, as he heard a low grunt of pain. He could hurt it! Remus felt a little less hopeless, but just for a second, as he soon realized that the effect it had was that it made the wolf a lot more furious. Yes, it was a wolf. And not just a regular wolf, but a werewolf. He couldn't fight against it anymore, he was too tired, too bruised... the creature had won. He was giving himself in.  
The wolf attacked Remus' right shoulder with its sharp fangs, deepening them on his flesh, crimson red blood starting to cover the ground and the boy just wished it could be finished soon, because the pain was too hard to handle.  
The creature was aiming at his neck now, but suddenly there was a voice and a shot of red sparkles and the wolf disappeared amidst the shadows. It was over but the pain was still too present. He passed out.  
Next morning he found himself in a hospital bed, surrounded by a healer and his parents, looking terrified. When he moved his arm and let out a cry of pain, both his parents backed away, scared. It was like they were afraid of him, Remus, their son!  
- Here, Mr. Lupin, you need to drink this - said the healer, and his voice felt like a hammer on the boy's head. Every little bit of him hurt in that moment and he just wished whoever saved him hadn't done it.  
He obeyed and drank the potion. Its taste was awful, but in the state of drowsiness he was he found it was quite hard to say no or complain. It was better to just abide and keep everyone silent. He went back to sleep.  
Later that day he awoke again, with another healer sitting by his side:  
- Hello. - she said quietly.  
- Hi. - he said back, not feeling like chatting but knowing he wouldn't have a say in this.  
- I'm here to explain everything...  
And so she did. Remus cried after she left. He wasn't a normal kid anymore. His parents feared him, he wouldn't have any friends anymore as soon as their mothers found out what happened. They would know by now... Remus Lupin was now a werewolf.

_In scarlet nights I saw you / So cruelly you kissed me / Your lips a magic world / Your sky all hung with jewels / The killing moon / Will come too soon_

And indeed, after he came back home nobody came to visit him, nobody sent in an owl wishing he was better. And, from what he could eavesdrop from a conversation between his parents, most of the neighbors were actually thinking about moving. The kids who were playing with him in that fateful day would never be seen again. And even being the reason of the fear Remus could understand their feelings and did not blame them for being scared. It had happened to him, he knew how horrible it was and he didn't wish it to anyone, to be attacked by a werewolf, bitten and then become a monster. He was one now, once a month he would transform into something who would be just as thirsty for blood as the creature who attacked him in the first place was. Remus gave a shudder of disgust, thinking how it would be, how he would feel the first time he would lose his humanity. He felt his eyes watering. Too soon the full moon was going to be back and that horrible thing would be him.  
He fell silent and helpless in his bed, wishing the sun would never leave the sky and the moon never take over again.  
He hated, loathed, feared the full moon, but he couldn't help it. It was his fate.

_Fate / Up against your will / Through the thick and thin / He will wait until / You give yourself to him_


End file.
